News from the Farm
By Sarah Libertus

The Harvest Hoedown was a wonderful night.  I was a little tired after Farmer’s Market, but it was great seeing everyone who trucked it out to our little valley.  It was a perfect night, complete with Northern Lights, fireworks and the prettiest sunset.  As I stated last week, the boxes are turning to a Fall emphasis: squash, onions, potatoes and brassicas.  This is great sturdy food, although it does make one a little sentimental about those wild summer boxes…  Many people have been asking me about a possible Winter Share CSA.  Although we were considering it, we have finally decided not to offer a Winter Share.  We are sorry for those who were interested and may have participated in the Winter Share in the past, but it was too hard and too cold.  This does mean that the boxes will be getting heavier as we finish out the season (the last week of boxes is October 24th).  So get your lifting muscles prepped, because “Here comes the squash”.

The following is an article that was given to me by Lynela, a CSA member.  The article is adapted from a news release by the American Chemical Society and was originally published from The Community Food News Newsletter from the Community Food Co-op in Bozeman Montana.  It is an interesting look at some of the nutritional benefits of organically grown food. 
Fruits and veggies grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, according to a new study of corn, strawberries and marionberries.  The research suggests that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics – chemicals that act as a plant’s natural defense and also happen to be good for our health.  Fertilizers, however, seem to boost the levels of anti-cancer compounds.  The findings appear in the February 26 print edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.  Flavinoids are phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant activity.  Many are produced in plants in response to environmental stressors, such as insects or competing plants.  “If an aphid is nibbling on a leaf, the plant produces phenolics to defend itself,” says Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D., a food scientist at the University of California, Davis and the lead author of the paper.  “Bitter or harsh phenolics guard the plant against these pests.”  The need for these natural safeguards decreases with the use of herbicides and pesticides in conventional agriculture.  This decrease is reflected in the total amount of antioxidants the plants produce.  “This helps explain why the level of antioxidants is so much higher in organically grown food,” Mitchell says, “By synthetically protecting the produce from these pests, we decrease their need to produce antioxidants.  It suggests that maybe we are doing something to our food inadvertently.”  Mitchell measured antioxidants found in corn, strawberries and a type of blackberry called a marionberry.  “We started with these three due to plant availability,” Mitchell explains, “but we intend to include tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and a variety of other vegetables.  We expect these results to be transferable to most produce.”  The investigation compared the total antioxidants found in food grown organically (using no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers) to foods grown sustainably (in this study fertilizers but no herbicides or pesticides were used) and conventionally (using synthetic chemicals to protect plants and increase yield).  The results showed a significant increase in antioxidants in organic and sustainably grown foods versus conventionally grown foods.  The levels of antioxidants in sustainably grown corn were 58.5 percent higher than conventionally grown corn.  Organically and sustainably grown marionberries had approximately 50 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown berries.  Organically and sustainably grown strawberries had approximately 19 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown berries.  Antioxidant levels were the highest overall in sustainably grown produce, which indicates that a combination of organic and conventional practices yields the highest level of antioxidants.  “Originally, the question was just really intriguing to me,” says Mitchell, whose research grew naturally from a personal interest in organic foods.  “I found that the higher level of antioxidants is enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition and it’s definitely changed the way that I think about food.”

Varieties
By Sarah Libertus

Due to the nature of farming, the produce in the box may change with the weather.  Please feel free to contact me if
you need any additional assistance with what is in your box.

Napa Cabbage-  This is a sweet tasty member of the cabbage family.  Freakishly easy to cut up: place cabbage horizontally, cut off the top, then proceed to make thin cuts down the body of the cabbage.  This will produce a perfect shred for salads or stir fry.  Only cut the amount that you need and loosely wrap in plastic wrap.  This cabbage should stay fresh for up to two weeks in your crisper. 

Acorn Squash- I am trying to count how many different types of winter squash we planted- I think that it is 8 or 9 types, so be prepared…  Acorn Squash may be the most familiar to you; its distinctive acorn shape is used in cornucopia displays throughout the land.  There are dozens of squash recipes.  The acorn squash contains only a minor amount of beta-carotene, unlike other winter squashes, but is a good source of calcium.  Squash will keep in a cool dark well-ventilated place for months.  Remember though, acorn is an early ripening winter squash, so it won’t keep indefinitely. 

Potatoes- These are cured Red Norland potatoes.  They are much bigger than the spring ones, but they are starchier and sturdier.  These potatoes are cured, so they do not need to be kept in the refrigerator.  Keep them in a well ventilated space out of direct sunlight. 

Hurray for the nutty sweetness and deep nourishment we get from roasted harvest squashes! This ultra-simple recipe was adapted from Comfort Food (Taunton Press, 2004).

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash – Recipe

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice a thin piece off both ends of the squash, including the stem. Cut the squash in half crosswise (perpendicular to the ribs). Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.
Line a pan in which the squash can fit snugly with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil, rub with butter to prevent squash from sticking.
Set the squash halves in the prepared baking pan and smear the flesh with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the salt. Drizzle maple syrup over the cut edge of the squash and into the cavity (most of the liquid will pool there) and sprinkle with the ginger, if using.
Roast the squash halves until nicely browned and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a small to medium squash (larger squash may take longer); add the pecans, if using, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Do not undercook. Serve warm with a spoon.
Serves 4.

This has become a staple in my potluck repertoire.  It is easy and beautiful and offers a fresh twist to a classic.

Asian FUSION Slaw

• 6 cups of thinly sliced shredded Napa Cabbage
• 2 bell peppers sliced into sticks
• 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons finely minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 cup chopped salted peanuts
• 1 cup minced cilantro

Toss together cabbage, peppers and onions into a big bowl.  Mix dressing (oil, vinegar, ginger and soy sauce) in separate bowl and toss on cabbage.  Salt to taste.  Add peanuts and cilantro right before serving.  This salad tastes better the second day, but keep the peanuts off or they will soak up the oil and get soft.

STUFFED SQUASH

• 1 Acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 Tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 cup coarsely crumbled whole wheat bread
• The juice of half a lemon or orange
• 1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2  cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Oil baking dish that can snugly fit the halved squash.  Place the squash flesh-side down on the dish and pour in 2 cups of water.  Bake until fork tender (about 20 minutes).  Heat the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onions until translucent, add celery, nuts, seeds and garlic.  Cook over low heat until nuts are browned.  Add the sage, thyme, and marjoram.  Stir in bread crumbs, juice, salt and pepper, raisins and cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes.  Remove from the pan and stir in the cheese.  Pack the stuffing into the squash cavities and bake at 350 degrees (flesh-side up), covered with tinfoil for 25 minutes, uncover and cook for 5-8 minutes to brown.